Within trials of love C&J
by real mynix
Summary: It starts at the very beginning and continues. So Rupert is in it too...Clarisse with another two man? It can't be true!
1. Chapter 1

Author: mynix from Hungary, Budapest  
Title: Within Trials of Love  
Rated: M, I really want to write what I think ( don't like the restriction )  
Storyline: This is a Clarisse and Joseph story. It starts at the very beginning and continues …  
Genre: romance

I really hope you like it!

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¤¤Within trials of love1¤¤

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'When I grow up , I will have as loving and caring husband as yours, Grandma.'

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¤¤Within trials of love end 1¤¤


	2. Chapter 2

¤¤Within trials of love 2¤¤

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The music of the wedding march began. All twelve hundred people present stood up together to admire the bride. Both the bride and her dress were simply fabulous. The dress was made of snow-white natural silk material, strapless with a train and a veil. It was decorated with golden trimmings and had golden edging. She was holding a bouquet of white tulips. Her father escorted her to the altar where there were eight bridesmaids in front of her and four little children carrying the train of her dress behind her.

All the guests were smiling and they seemed to be so happy. She, of course, was smiling, too. She was delirious with joy because she had known that this day was coming. Since she had become aware of the world around her, all the while she was growing up, she had known that one day she would become the wife of a king. And then only a couple of minutes were separating her from that time. 'Good gracious, what am I doing here? I am just eighteen! It was my birthday last July and here I am, in this place, only a couple of months later …'

But she had not tried to stop the wedding from happening. The former king of Genovia had died in August and it had been announced that the prince would ascend the throne the same month. She had been expected to become his wife in the beginning of September, or the middle of the month at the latest. When informed about the upcoming marriage, she had not said a word. Instead, she had just nodded, indicating that she had heard and understood. During the following days, she had had to go to dressmaker's fittings and try on shoes and jewellery. Day followed day as she had kept coming and going out of one fitting to another, never missing an appointment and never raising objections. She had never disagreed with anything, in spite of the fact that she would have preferred a dress with straps, that she thought the golden trimmings on the dress were simply awful, and that she could hardly walk in the shoes. However, she did like tulips and indeed all the flowers she had gotten. Whenever she had been in a bad temper, she had always resorted to her flowers.

She had never had real girlfriends who could have been there at the turning points of her life, times like today. She lacked those friends with whom she might have shared her anguish, her fears and her sorrow. It occurred to her that she very often had to cry alone in one of her room's darkest corners, struggling to cope with her problems, while outwardly she seemed to be incarnating perfection before the outside world.

As she drew nearer and nearer to the altar, she realized she was afraid, although she really did not know what frightened her. Secretly, she had always hoped that this day would be the most wonderful day of her life. She had known for sure that it would not be so when she had seen Rupert for the first time. She had been fourteen and he had been introduced to her as her husband-to-be. She had taken that as a joke because he was twenty-six years older than she was! She had not really believed that she would be this prospective king's wife. Then, as she had grown up, she had realized that, yes, it was true. Everyone had taken it for granted.

She touched her bridegroom as her father led her to him. They took their last steps together towards the bishop. 'Bridegroom? Good heavens! How could he be a bridegroom ? He's forty-five ! He is only five years younger than my father! If he had a daughter, I might be the same age! ... Oh, my God! I could be his daughter!'

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"Do you accept Clarisse Gerald to be your wife?" the bishop asked him.

"Yes, I do," replied Rupert.

"And you, Clarisse Gerald, do you accept Rupert Renaldi to be your husband?" the bishop asked her.

"Yes."

"I hereby declare you a married couple," said the bishop and continued, "Please, kiss your wife."

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The rest of the day was even more terrible to endure. Every guest congratulated the young couple. 'Maybe I am young but he surely can not be!' she thought to herself. 'Even if my life depended on it, I would not call him young!' continued her thoughts.

Clarisse felt embarrassed that everyone was happy for their marriage except for herself. Of course, she made no display of her feelings. The main goal was doing the right thing for others, doing what Genovia claimed and what rules permitted.

And as if all these were not enough, there was the problem that she had staying in her uncomfortable dress. But that was the correct thing to do. 'The correct thing to do'. I n fact, she hated these words. Everything was judged by those words, whether or not it is correct to do. She had to do the correct thing and she had to wait until midnight before changing her clothes at last.

Another problem she had to face was knowing that, before changing clothes, dancing was the correct thing to do. She liked dancing, there was no problem with that, but she had to dance with everyone! All twelve hundred guests. 'The correct thing to do is to dance with everyone! With women as well as the men. I will not endure that.' she thought to herself. But of course she endured it.

She marched off half an hour before midnight. Her ladies' maids helped her change her clothes.  
She already liked her other dress. It was white with red trimmings. It was also long enough to reach the ground and short-sleeved. It was completely decorated from hem to neck and therefore it did not need to be additionally adorned with jewels. There was no need for jewels ... but there was her marriage ring. Again, that was something that she was not pleased with. It was a big ring with a large diamond in the centre. She already felt that she did not like it. It was too big and did not suit anything. Of course, she could not do anything about it because that was what she had received and it was over. She hurried, but even so she was not ready until twenty-three minutes after midnight.

She entered the ballroom and there was Rupert. She danced with him first, and then the guests came one after the other. They took pity on her and so they only allowed one person from each family to dance with her for maximum of half a minute each. And so, she managed to finish the obligatory dancing by 4 a.m.

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She was tired, very tired, when her last dance came to its end, and she left for her suite. Her ladies' maids helped her take off her clothes. After that, she fell asleep at once in her warm and soft bed. Before going to bed, she had smiled. She had already been living in the palace for a month yet she still wondered how big her bed was. Besides her, four persons could have had room in it. 'At least, there is one good thing here.' That was always the feeling which captured her when she entered her suite.

Her suite was on the second floor of the palace in its right wing. Here only her suite and Rupert's could be found. Rupert's was directly connected to hers from the corridor and her suite was interiorly and directly adjacent to Rupert's. They were, of course, situated in the best guarded part of the palace. All the windows looked onto the garden. In front of each door there were two guards around the clock. At the entrance of the corridor there were always two security guards.  
On the floor above them, there were suites devoted for special guests, which were used very rarely. The security staff rooms were directly situated beneath them. Suites for other guests and study rooms were situated in the other wing of the palace. Meanwhile offices, ballrooms, dining rooms and every other part of the palace could be found in its middle.

Clarisse reflected on the month she had spent in the palace. Rupert did not like her to deal with the staff working there, and so she never did in his presence. However, she had been pleased to make acquaintances with even the Cooks when he had not been around. She took them for kind people and that was mutual feeling between them. The palace's staff liked their future queen. She was cultured, sensible, smart, lovely and kind. In the beginning, they were surprised to discover that she was kind. Most people were not so kind with their employees and did not even notice them if they did their jobs properly. Rupert treated them that way, too, when everything was in order. But, if one of his housemaids happened to break a glass during cleanup, he was on her trail to get her dismissed.

The queen, on the other hand, was totally different. She did not give orders, and only asked for what she wanted. "Would you please bring me a cup of tea?" She was an adored eighteen-year old girl who still could not be called a woman. The staff felt sorry for her because she looked unhappy.

Clarisse was almost asleep and forgetting about the day at last when the door opened. Somebody entered and approached her bed. She recognized the steps. It was Rupert. Her husband.

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"Are you already asleep, darling?" His lips touched his wife's skin very softly but she did not react. He started to move his hand slowly downwards, caressing her neck.

He knew exactly what could throw a woman into a fever. It was hard for her to resist. Instead of caresses, he began to lovingly touch her neck with his light kisses. Clarisse did not move and did not show any reaction. She just began to breathe more quickly. She could not understand why he did not embrace her at once as it is usual in such situations.

He did not give up. He kept kissing her neck and downwards as lovingly as he could, touching her collar-bone. Nevertheless he could not turn it to what usually happens with a woman in such cases.

Clarisse tried not to breathe so quickly and not to show what she felt then. Actually, she could not recognize her feelings. A man whom she hardly knew, one she had been with today more than any time before and she had already become his wife. Then, at dawn, he came to her bed and began kissing her mouth then her neck, but lightly so she only noticed that her breathing was speeding up and her whole body was tingling. Once, while still living at home, she had asked one of her housemaids what love is.

"It is a wonderful and tingling feeling," replied her housemaid.

"Is that what they call love?"

She had kept talking to her housemaid and all she had learned about love was what she had heard from the girl. "It is a wonderful feeling, when one feels free and incredibly happy. Every thought is about the other person. You only think about situations that gather the lovers together."

'Then this cannot be love, since we have no common, shared memories. About half a year before we married, we danced together at a ball. From time to time he visited my father, Mark, but even in those cases, he only greeted me.' remembered Clarisse.

Then she remembered what her father had said when they went togther to the church. "You do not have to fear. Everything is going to be in order. You will marry him, give birth to the crown's heir and you will be happy together."

"Stop it!" she shouted now.

"What's the matter?" asked Rupert, astonished. So far he had not been able to get her to open her eyes, but when she opened them at last, she just started to resist him immediately. This was something new for him to experience with a woman.

"I do not want to have a child!" she said.

Rupert wondered a little bit but he replied in a self-confident voice, "All right, let's protect ourselves from each other. Is there anything wrong?"

"Go ahead! Now what should we talk about?"

Rupert knocked his head. 'This should not have happened.' "Do you know, darling, what I am trying to do?"

Clarisse replied diffidently, "I can only guess, but the fact is that I still do not want to have a child. I am still young." she continued.

Rupert did not say a word. He just stood up from the bed and walked to the window, looking through it. "Darling, you are a virgin, aren't you?" he asked.

"What ?" she replied

"You have never yet been with a man in bed, have you?"

"No, never. Actually it was the first time in my life when we kissed in our wedding ... It was kissing, wasn't it?"

Rupert could hardly remain standing on his feet. He spoke in a low voice, but answered her question: "No, Darling, you have not kissed yet. So far, you have been only kissed, or I should say, I have kissed you in our wedding and now here."

Clarisse smiled then. "It was not too bad." she said.

Rupert turned towards her. "I am glad to know that." He got back to her bed and sat down on the edge. "I think it would be expedient for us to discuss a couple of things that you still do not know." he told her.

"Yes, I also think so." she replied, her face blushed.

"First of all, you know what sex means, don't you?" he asked.

"Yes. It's what happens between two people, a man and a woman, if they love each other a great deal and they want to have a child…" she replied as Rupert began to smile.

"Yes, well, here is one wrong perception. Not only when they want to have a child… and in many cases not only when they love each other. Clarisse, you have to know that I'm... I am forty-five, and the fact that I have not been married so far does not mean I have not yet had relations with women. You understand that, don't you?" he asked.

"Actually, I am not a child. It is just that nobody has spoken to me about these things," she replied in a resentful voice.

Rupert liked that kind of attitude. "Very well, please don't fight. I'm going to be the one with whom you speak and hopefully practice them." He winked at Clarisse.

"And… and…. we start tonight?"

"Darling, we will begin when you are feeling more yourself. But may I at least lie here in this bed with my wife? Or this is too small a bed for two people?" Rupert asked, chuckling.

Clarisse nodded and Rupert crawled in beneath the blanket. He drew nearer to Clarisse and caressed her waist gently.

"Thank you, Rupert," she whispered, and then they fell asleep.

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¤¤Within trials of love end 2¤¤

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To be continued when i have so so much time...

I'm interested in what do you think of my stroy.?


	3. Chapter 3

It's so good that I got reviews, then I know 4 people like my story:-) Thank you: _LinZE; I luv Julie Andrews; gremlin313; Prettycrazy_

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¤¤Within trials of love 3¤¤ 

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The following day Clarisse woke up, or, to be precise, was awakened by someone kissing her gently. At first she didn't know where she was or what was happening to her because she had never before woken up next to a man but in truth, it was not a bad feeling. Moreover, the kiss was downright good. When his mouth touched hers, her breath sped up.

Rupert pulled away, waited a bit, then leaned closer to kiss her again, but Clarisse opened her eyes. She had the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen, blue just like the ocean. Rupert looked into those eyes and just couldn't move.

Clarisse didn't know what the problem was, but felt the need to kiss him. Moving her hands up to caress her husband's neck, she hesitated. Rupert continued to gaze into her eyes and slowly she drew him closer to her lips. No beginner, he knew what to do, but he liked his wife's initiative. Finally their lips touched, both of them still gazing into the other's eyes. The kiss was soft and sweet as opposed to passionate.

"Now I'm kissing, aren't I?" asked Clarisse when Rupert drew back again, her eyes on his mouth.

"Almost, Sweetie. Now you have ALMOST kissed someone." Again their lips touched. Rupert caressed Clarisse's neck and drew her body closer to his. His tongue slowly traced her lips, indicating that he wanted to enter his wife's mouth.

She trembled a little and wondered what was going on. Rupert persisted with his actions, and she opened her mouth to him, then tried to imitate him. Moments later their tongues were dancing. It was very different from anything she had ever tried. It was better ... much better. She moaned and gave herself up to the kiss. She kissed, finally.

It was not long before she realized that she was enjoying kissing. Her hands stopped shaking, she could breathe a little steadier ... and her kisses grew braver. Rupert wanted to end the kiss, but she couldn't allow that. Feeling this, he did not protest. They continued to kiss and cuddle for the first time in their marriage. Clarisse's mouth was so soft. God didn't create many such kisses, and it was an absolute pleasure to kiss Rupert, she thought.

Then their mouths parted slightly when they were out of oxygen. Rupert said, "You are an amazing surprise for me and I can't say in words how much I love you, and how pleased I am that I have you in my life."

"Thank you. But I'm not as good as I want to be, so let's kiss some more."

For Rupert, kissing created a very special feeling. He couldn't disown that he had kissed many women, far more than twenty if he had ever counted, which he hadn't. What did it matter? He was single, rich and not as bad looking as a frog. Just for those three attributed alone, he could get whatever he wanted, not to mention that he was the crown prince. He had known that when his father died and he was King, he would have to marry, put away bohemian life and be a good husband.

The night before, that had been the reason why Clarisse's naivety had been shocked. He hadn't made love to a woman for more than two months. To tell the truth, he had known from the very beginning that Clarisse was going to be his wife but he couldn't handle that. Instead, he had said occasionally, 'When she grows up, I'm marrying her'. Sometimes when he had visited Mark, Clarisse's father, he had seen the child growing up. The child had grown into a beautiful and intelligent woman. His woman. Well, now he had every right to hold her and do to her whatever he wanted. But he just didn't do it. When he first saw her grown up, he had fallen in love with her. Yes, he loved her. Some lonely nights while awaiting the wedding, he had imagined her in his bed, only very occasionally another woman.

They shared some more kisses, then Clarisse tried to move. "Well, I can't learn any more this moment." Her slight movements were to give a signal that she wanted to get up and dress because a new day had begun.

However much Rupert wanted to continue his warm kisses, knowing that after the kisses came more, much more loving which was even better than kissing, he didn't do anything. He saw that right now, Clarisse could not learn more so he cooled himself off by thinking, 'I have time. I have her whole life. She is going to be happy. I will teach her everything. But I can't hurry it, I shouldn't.' He let her go and she went to the bathroom and he heard the shower start. Getting up, Rupert picked up his dressing grown and went to his own room. It was eleven o'clock.

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Clarisse realized that now she was the Queen, she would have much more work to do than ever before. What's better about this? she thought. She had never, ever, worked that much in her whole life than that morning. She had a lot of paper work to do, and different help organizations phoned her, wanting her or the Genovian legation to help. Some people asked persuasively, trying to speak to her spirit, telling her about the terrible conditions in which they lived and so on. Clarisse, of course, wanted to help everyone but knew she couldn't. There was only so much she could finance.

By one o'clock, she was terribly tired. Her secretary told her to go for lunch, and that by luck they could spare one hour. She remembered the morning with Rupert and realized that now she had some more learning to do lest she forget everything. Going to Rupert's office, she knocked.

"Come in," she heard her husband's answer.

When she entered the room, she saw that it was big. There was one big desk for Rupert, a desk on the right and one desk at the left for his personal secretary and in the middle of the room another long desk.

"Hello, Sweetheart, what can I do for you?"

Clarisse rounded the desk, leaned into Rupert and gave him a long and heady kiss. "Well, nothing now," she smiled. "Are you coming to lunch?"

The room was so silent you could hear the people breathe. The secretaries were absolutely stunned as they had never seen that side of the Queen. On the other hand, Rupert's face had a big smile. He stood up and gave his wife as heady kiss as he had gotten. "Very well, we will go now."

He caressed Clarisse's waist and they went. The workers just looked at the door. They had never seen Rupert give anyone that hearty a kiss just because… they knew his kiss, but he just gave it when he wanted something…

At first, they had thought that his marriage wouldn't change things a bit. However, they were finding out that, yes, lots of things had changed. Rupert did not really see any of them. Looking at any other woman used to make his eyes twinkle. Now he looked at his wife instead, and that was different, as it was more a love twinkle.

Love… that was strange to say in Rupert's case. After they had come to work here, not one woman had ever said no to him. Then, two months ago, things had changed. The secretaries did not like those changes. They had enjoyed having maybe not much but some part of the Genovian heir. Now that he was King, they weren't getting anything. However, he did look to be in love. So they decided to forget about him, and while the marriage was good, they would not 'bother' him.

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When they went into the lunchroom, Rupert slid his arms around his wife's waist. This was a strange but good feeling for Clarisse. Well, actually, everything that had happened to her that half day was strange but good to her. When they entered the lunchroom sedately, good food was on the large table which held twenty-five people. Custom was that husband and wife sat on opposite ends of the table.

Sitting down, Rupert said, "I think you want to exercise some more."

"Well yes, but…" she looked around and saw that they weren't alone, as always. Immediately behind Rupert always stood a minimum of two bodyguards. Another two were at the door, and there were three maids around the table. Only now did Clarisse think of what she had done several minutes earlier. Now she was ashamed of herself, and never before had she felt like that. She was not one to show her feelings very much. When her loved Grandmother had died, at the funeral she had refused to show her emotions in public. And now, she had behaved as if it was the most natural thing to kiss her husband in front of the secretaries. 'Never again.' she thought. 'No. I will not show my feelings in front of other people.'

Seeing that she don't want to speak about that now, Rupert changed the subject. "How is your day so far?"

"Oh, it's really hard. So many people wanted to speak to me on the phone, everyone wanted me to do something. As a matter of fact, sometimes I actually didn't know who I was, talking that much!"

Rupert smiled. "That has happened to me before, too. But when we have secretaries, it doesn't happen as often. Clarisse, you have to talk with some of those people and commit some help to them. Of course, not blindly. Say, so much. If they say that isn't much, you have to handle that. You have to know that you can't speak to everyone. It just must sort itself out. You answer just the important phone calls, sign just the important papers. You have so much of that, believe me! However I really want to speak with you about what is going to be your job, because I really want you to help me rule this beautiful country. I believe that we can manage that much more easily as a couple. You are a very learned women and I know that it can never harm anything to analyze one thing through two points of view."

"Oh Rupert, it's so kind of you. I am going to try."

"I know that, and..."

"I'm really sorry for interrupting you, Your Majesty, but you have an important phone call from America."

"I must go. Sorry, we'll meet at dinner."

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He went to his office and picked up the phone. It was one of American's congressman whom he know quite well. "Hello! What's the matter?"

The talking was long and nothing settled, so the end of the conversation was that Rupert had to go to America the next day. He wasn't very enthusiastic, but he had to go as it would be good for Genovia. He asked his secretary to start collecting everything he might need, just in case he needed to stay there for a month. He did not want to miss anything.

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Clarisse went to her office where some important paper and phone calls awaited her. She called back and discussed a more personal meeting with the Genovian members of parliament. She wanted to come to know them, as her husband had asked. It certainly would not do any harm if she know them better personally. She had lived in Genovia all her life as had her parents, so of course she know most of them from parties. However, she did not know what everyone's work was, exactly. Well, there was the time to do that.

Clarisse was happy to do something now, and not just learn how put down the cup, that she should step like this not like that, and that this King did not rule after 1205, but 1206. It was different at last.

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Two hours later, Rupert paid a visit to his wife's office. "Ladies, may I ask you to leave for a little bit, that I might have some time with my wife?" Then he sat beside her and kissed her just as passionately as he had in the morning.

"You think I need some more practice?"

"Don't forget even one little thing." Their mouths joined again and again as they kissed. "Sweetie, we must go to America." Clarisse continued to kiss him. He murmured again, "Must."

"What? Must?" she finally said in a high voice, not liking having to be told she MUST do something.

"If you want it said differently, our plane goes to America at four." Rupert answered, a little bit impatiently.

"No, I'm not going anywhere."

"No?" he asked, trying to calm himself down. "Nobody speaks to me like that. We go and that's final."

"No. Maybe nobody speaks to you like that before, but I'm not going. I have other things to do." Clarisse didn't know what to think of her 'Dear' husband! She was his wife, not his slave to do whatever he told her.

"Other things to do? Such as?" he asked in an annoyed voice.

"Just a couple of hours ago, you said that you would like me to help you. Well, I've already started. I'm to speak at a number of meeting and don't want to miss them."

Rupert calmed down a little, thinking, 'Well, she has every right to say that. She is a person, not just a thing that I pack and take for myself.' "You are right. I'm sorry. So, my sweetheart, today at four I have to go to America and I really hope that you can come with me." He caressed Clarisse's waist and she gradually relaxed.

"I would go with you gladly, but I am supposed to speak at some meetings that I don't want to pass up." she murmured.

Rupert leaned closer to her and kissed her gently and tenderly, kisses such as he had given her the night before. Clarisse didn't know why, but she had to break away.

"Well?" said Rupert, close to his wife's mouth. Clarisse's voice broke and she could only shake her head no. " Well, whatever you think ... but if you can, come after me and meet me there."

"Go after you? Why, how long will you be there?" she asked, a little bit surprised.

"I'm thinking I'll just be home for October's ball ..."

"That's nearly one month, Rupert!"

"I know. That's why I want you to come with me. But, if you have other plans, I understand." Once more, his lips came close to hers.

She could only whisper, "I have other plans, really ..." and they shared a last kiss.

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The following month, Clarisse felt good about herself in her new position. She knew the castle workers well enough that they now told her all the gossip, so she had a fair bit of background information and could speak for half a day to the members of parliament before ever actually going to the meeting. She had met most of the important Genovian people and most of them were kind, and in her opinion, good people. Of course she had met one or two exceptions who were NOT nice people. She never stayed long in any one place with any one of the members of parliament. Whoever spent ten minutes with her, however, thought of himself as the luckiest man in Genovia.

Clarisse and Rupert spoke every three days on the phone, but never of anything except work.

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When Rupert got to the American consulate, he realized that he must have the power of Hercules to stay away from women. Around him were lots of provocative women and none of them were the shy type. To be truthful, he simply missed sex. In former times, he would have sex every day with one or another of his employees, but now the sexiest time he had to remember was when his wife went to his office and kissed him. It was a really big change!

In fact, he couldn't really say what actually made him hold back fromthe women. After all, he was hundreds of miles away from Clarisse. They had never made love, consequently it was just a paper binding him to her. When he saw the provocative clothes of some of the American ladies, he imagined Clarisse wearing those clothes and thought how prettier she would be.

He knew that it would be hard to keep himself back, but he would try. Hewas going to wait for his wife to be ready and he hoped that some day she was going to love him. Oh, yes, he knew that she didn't love him now. That much was clear, and he really couldn't blame her for that. Why would she have loved him before? He cared for her enough to wait until she could know him better, and he hoped that she wouldn't love him simply because she had to. He truly hoped that one day she would love him of her own volition. For that, he would wait as long as necessary.

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¤¤Within trials of love end 3¤¤

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To be continued whenI have so so much time...

I'm interested in what do you think of my stroy.?


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you RevSue for your help to translate this part! 

And thank you: _Prettycrazy; __mainer2121; __I luv Julie Andrews; __Shakayla; __Regina-sp; __Monai; _to review the 3. chapter.

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¤¤Within trials of love4¤¤ 

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Rupert came back from America four days early, but he had to go to Portugal the next day. So he decided to come home to Genovia just for the one night. He was happy that he would have the chance to finally see his wife. He would be able to hold her, hug her and kiss her tender lips. He arrived at the place at 22:48 and immediately went to Clarisse's suite.

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When he stepped into the bedroom, he saw Clarisse sleeping in the middle of her big bed. She looked so fragile on the big bed, but so beautiful too. He sat the bed and very carefully slipped the blanket off Clarisse's shoulder. She was wearing a claret slip, and she looked so sexy that Rupert thought, 'She is just perfect.'

He took off his shoes and socks and lay down on the bed next to Clarisse. For half an hour, he just looked and played with her hair, but then he began to caress her back, up and down slowly and sensually. Clarisse turned to face him, but didn't wake up. When she turned, however, one of her shoulder straps slid down and Rupert had better view down her décolleté. He couldn't stand any more.

"I'm home, Sweetheart. Wake up, please." and he kissed her closed eyelids, first the one, then the other. Then he lightly kissed her mouth.

"Rupert?" she said in a sleepy voice, her eyes still closed.

"Well, who else are you expecting?" questioned Rupert playfully.

Clarisse finally opened her eyes to see Rupert only a little away from her face and she smiled faintly. "Well, you. Who else?" She welcomed Rupert with a kiss.

Rupert enjoyed the kiss very much, thinking that his wife kissed better than he remembered. When the kiss deepened, he felt his body begin to answer and his whole being wanted Clarisse's.

As Clarisse lost herself in the kiss, all of her memories of loving Rupert come back and, like the kisses, every move. She liked to explore Rupert's lips and mouth, liked the dances that their tongues created, liked the sweet taste that her mouth got from his. She simply loved kissing and being kissed. She wound her arms around Rupert's neck and kissed with even more passion, never knowing what her caresses evoked inside of her husband.

Rupert's arms caressed Clarisse's back and every touch of the slippery material made him feel the need to take off. As her kisses burned his body, he touched the other shoulder string and tried to slide that off too. In that moment he felt Clarisse end the kiss.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, the one strap was off so I thought I'd slide the other one off too."

Clarisse just then realized that it was true so she pushed the one strap back up into place and began to caress Rupert's neck once again, wanting to continue the kiss.

Rupert, however, wanted more. "I want… no, I would like to take it off. Not just the strap, but I'd like to take off your slip."

Clarisse blushed a little. "No."

"Why not? It's going to be good."

"But I don't want to."

"But it's a part of this. Let me take it off and you'll like it."

"It's possible that I really will enjoy it, but I don't feel the need. So … no, please?"

Rupert pulled away a little. "It's not all right, Clarisse. You are my wife."

"And?"

"AND? You have been my wife for a whole month now!"

"And you were not at home for a whole month!" Clarisse got out of the bed, searched for her robe which was very light, completely transparent material and put on.

Rupert sat up in the bed and watched her. "Clarisse, you are beautiful and I really want you now."

"Rupert, you said me that you would give me time."

"I gave you time!"

"Oh yes, you went to America. That was my time!"

"Sorry but I'm busy. I do not have that privilege of sitting at home with my feet up!" said Rupert, a little angry now. He regretted his sentences the moment he spoke them aloud, knowing he had said something silly.

"I'm not keeping my feet up! I'm young! I have to learn things! So sorry, mister!" Clarisse answered right away. She realized that Rupert had needs, but she was scared inside and everything was moving too quickly for her. She liked Rupert and didn't want to slight him, but she didn't want to do something that she wasn't comfortable with.

"I'm going to Portugal tomorrow. You don't have time to come with me, do you? " Rupert said this much more calmly. Clarisse shook her head no. "Very well. I'm going to my room to sleep a bit. Good night, Clarisse." He stood up and went out the door, without turning back.

Clarisse was surprised. Rupert knew her better than she had imagined. She went to the door too and looked out, but Rupert had already gone to his room. So she went out to the gardens.

¤

She went out in what she was wearing … the transparent robe and the claret slip. The security guards watched her in amazement. They, of course, never saw what was under the clothes. 'Well, she is not bad…. The hell! She is so damn sexy!' They felt that their trousers were suddenly a little smaller in some places than before. They had known that she was sweet, kind, clever, smart, and young, but her body was just simply the most perfect that they had ever laid eyes on.

Clarisse, in the meantime, never noticed the looks. She was so lost in her thoughts. She didn't even notice that somebody followed her when she went to her private garden. When she sat on one of her benches, the man in the shadows stepped forward carefully so as not to frighten her.

He spoke quietly, "What are you searching for there?"

Clarisse looked back and saw that a very, very handsome man was behind her. So she stood up and turned around. She was curious as to what he was doing in her private garden. "Well, I could ask you the same question. What are you doing here?"

The man forgot to breathe a moment when he saw for the first time just what she was wearing. There was an amazingly beautiful lady, at eleven at night, in the Queen's garden, with hardly anything on,. So he did what every man would have done in this situation. He slowly looked her over, top to bottom, examining every inch of her body and taking off the rest of her clothes with his eyes.

Clarisse felt very strange. Every man in her company was respectful, well, this man was not, that's for sure. She smiled a little. She had found one man who didn't know who she was.

"I think someone really upset you this night if you left him this situation." said the man, finally. "I'm one of the night's security guards, and ask you to kindly leave this garden, as it's the Queen's private place."

"And?"- asked Clarisse, acting puzzled.

"And you have no right to stay here. This is only for the Queen and the people to whom she gives permission."

Clarisse smiled. "So you have no right to stay here, either."

The man thought for a minute then smiled back at her. "Well no. I don't have either."

"I won't betray you. Can we sit down?"

"It'll probably cost me my job, but… a beautiful women, a beautiful garden… very well. We shall sit if you like."

As they sat, Clarisse's heart was pounding. 'He said I'm beautiful and my garden too, but he doesn't know who I am.'

They sat some minutes before they began to speak together. The man nodded, so Clarisse carried on. "How long have you worked here?"

"A whole three days." he smiled. "I completed my training at the famous and difficult FBI school in the USA, and I was one of the best. They offered me a job here. Of course I accepted it immediately. It's beautiful country, with beautiful women." Clarisse felt her cheeks redden a little, but she tried to stop it. He continued, "And what about you? Looking at you, I'd think you've been here much longer."

"For two whole months now!"

"Oh, that's not that much, that I can imagine. But you have already trouble with men."

Clarisse looked into his big brown eyes in shock. "I have trouble with just one, but I really don't want to speak of it.:

"As you wish, but that man is a really big idiot not to keep you next to himself. If you were my girlfriend, I never let you be more than a short distance away."

"You are very kind."

"No I just spoke the truth."

Clarisse stood up suddenly. "I have to go."

The man stood up too, and took her wrist. "Can I see you tomorrow?"

"Oh… well… I…. I am…." Clarisse didn't know how to say she was a married women, but never ever before had any been so kind and truthful to her as the man before her had been. 'And he is so handsome, too.' She said quickly, "Tomorrow at 22:30, here."

"Here? But I said that this is…" he began, but didn't have the chance to finish.

"Here, or we don't meet."

"Here." he answered immediately. Clarisse was a little proud of herself and began to walk back to the castle when the man's voice stopped her. "If I may be so bold as to note, you look absolutely sexy in those … clothes."

Clarisse turned back a half minute, babbled a quick thank you, and rushed to the castle door. The man looked after her for some time. She was good looking, the skin on her arm felt like silk. She had seemd kind, and not happy with her boyfriend. What else could he want? It was simple now: this woman.

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Back in her suite, Clarisse said Good night to everyone she saw. Now she felt the eyes on her body, but she didn't mind it. Nobody dared to ask her any questions about why she was wandering around dressed as she was, simply because she was The Queen.

As she lay down on the bed, Clarisse remembered the strange man ... the way he spoke, the things that he said, and the feel when he grasped her hands.—his grip was strong and at the same time felt so good. ..

¤

The next day she was busy planning the ball three days later. Things were just as boring as usual, but she felt herself more anxious than ever, and of course it was all the fault of the man whose name she still did not know. She didn't know exactly what the right thing to do was, but she wanted to see the man again. Accordingly, at 22:40 she came out of her suite and went to the garden. If he awaited her then that was fine. If not… She was a little frustrated, but when she stepped out of the castle and went to the garden she began to feel calmer and much better. She composed herself, then saw that he was sitting on the bench.

When she was within earshot, he turned around and spoke. "You're late."

"I know. A bad habit."

"Fifteen minutes."

"Oh. I'd ask your pardon, but it would be easier if I knew your name."

"I'm Joseph. And who are you, my lady? What's your name?"

Clarisse stood there and didn't know what to say. It was a logical question. She had asked his name, then he had asked her. So quietly she answered, "Clarisse."

"Just like the Queen?"

"Yes."

"Why did you say it in such a quiet way? It's a beautiful name."

"Thank you. Do you know her?"

"Know who?"

"The Queen."

"Sort of. I haven't ever met her, but I know a lot of things about her," Joseph said in a very mysterious voice.

"Such as?"

"I hear the gossip, of course. The newest tidbit is that yesterday the King came home before going to Portugal today. Last night he wanted, well, you know, for the first time, THE first time, you know." Clarisse nodded, hardly believing that she was hearing about her life from an aspect that she hadn't heard before. "Reportedly they bickered so loudly that the staff heard them shouting, slamming doors and the queen yelling and all of that."

"What?" asked Clarisse in totally shock. That had just been last night, and already the story was so far from the truth.

"Yes, and the King yelled too, calling her a bitch which was a little funny, don't you think? Well, never mind. Then the Queen ran out of the suite, shutting the door on the King's nose. But the most important thing is that she left the room wearing something very sexy. The wives at home had a really good morning when the men who watched the queen went home."

"Why?"

"Because they were so aroused. But it's a sure thing that you were much sexier than she was, believe me." Clarisse hardly get to her feet, feeling slightly dizzy. Joseph noticed it. "Would you like to sit?"

"Yes, thank you."

They sit down and began to talk. Joseph told some stories about his childhood years and how he had played with his two older brothers, and one sister. Joseph got into a fair bit of trouble with his parents, because he always saved the weaker, if she/he was the one who was in the right. He was brave and stood up against his oldest brother, too. His parents were very much managing parents, which was why Joseph had gone to FBI school at the young age of fifteen. He was much stronger and more resolute then the oldest brother and much more learned too. He had always known what he wanted to be, had always wanted to save the people who were in the right. Now he was twenty years old; tall, dark hair, big brown eyes, strong arms, beaten body. He didn't find himself handsome, but the girls most certainly did.

Of course, Joseph asked questions too, but he never noticed that Clarisse always threw back the ball to him. The diplomatic lessons had taught her something. It was late when they said their good byes to one another. Joseph kissed Clarisse's hand and she felt something hot run down her spine. She didn't quite know what to make of it. Joseph felt the same way too, but he could imagine what it might be.

¤

The following day, Clarisse didn't know what to do. If she listened to her heart, she would go to the garden, but it was absolutely not the most clever choice since she had felt so good the previous night. She knew that it was not right to act just because she felt like it. She was a Queen not a teenager, and did not really have the chance to do what she would like. She also realized that they hadn't planned to meet tonight, either, so she decided to just go for a walk, which accidentally took her to the private garden. If Joseph happened to be there, they would just speak a little bit. That's all. She smiled at herself and her excellent idea, feeling herself relaxing as she squashed her qualms and at 22:40 she stepped out of her suite to go for her 'walk.' Of course she happened to go first to the garden and Joseph was there. So they continued just where they had ended the night before. Sadly, as before, the goodbye time came too fast.

"I'm really sorry, but we can't meet tomorrow. All of us are working with the ball's security last check."

"I see." Clarisse nodded. "Can you have time in the ball?"

"Yes, we change every two hours. I'm in the first shift so I'm free after. And you … are you coming?"

Clarisse smiled. 'Right, I don't go?' she thought. Aloud she said, "Yes. Will you promise me something?"

"This is just our third meeting and you want me to promise something? Wow, you have temper, Darling."

"Darling?" Clarisse's eyes grew big. She had only ever said that to her great grandmother who she liked deeply.

"Sorry." Joseph blushed.

"It's all right." said Clarisse, so quietly.

"So, what would you like me to do?"

"Ask me to dance."

"Right. I would be honoured."

"Promise. No matter what happens, what you see, what you think … when your shift ends, ask me to dance."

"I promise. When my shift ends, that'll be the minute I ask you dance." He placed a tender kiss on her hands and they went.  
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The whole night she spent tossing and turning in her bed. She couldn't forget the lie that she had played out. The day after tomorrow, Joseph would realize that she had lied to him the whole time. He would probably never speak to her again, but oh she liked so much talking with him. And feeling those silken lips when he gave her the kiss on her hands … well, she could stand that her whole life.

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Of course, Joseph didn't forget Clarisse either. The woman who had come into his life could only be viewed as an Angel.

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¤¤Within trials of love end 4¤¤

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What do you think about this part? Please review.

To be continued. . .


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you so much Susan to correct this part from me, you are so kind.

I know it was a big pause, but my school is starts now and you know it's boring, so hopefully I can update more often.

¤¤Within trials of love 5¤¤

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Everyone was in the ball room: the King, the guests, the security guards and Joseph too, of course. They were all waiting for the Queen. She had only been queen for five weeks but everyone already knew that the punctuality was not among her virtues. Finally she was announced: Her Majesty Clarisse Gerald Renaldi, Queen of Genovia.

She had come down a long corridor which ended at the door by which awaited the King, as he had been announced about half an hour earlier. The people were all quiet and she felt everyone's eyes on her. Clarisse did not much like having everyone looking at her, but she tried to become accustomed to it. They had only seen her at the wedding, so this was her first state appearance as queen in a ball gown. The dress had a wide yellow skirt, which hugged her figure perfectly on top, then began to flare at the hips. For jewellery, she wore a pair of dangley gold earrings, a necklace and, of course, her wedding ring.

Rupert was absolutely amazed. He had known that he had married a beautiful women, but he had never imagined that the woman was this beautiful. He felt that he was the luckiest man in the world.

At the other end of the ball room stood Joseph. He could not yet see the Queen because of the crowd between them, but from the faces of the others, he knew for certain that she was not dressed poorly. He had wanted to see her when first coming to work at the palace, or at the very least a portrait of her, but he had never had the time. He had needed to unpack, attend many meetings, and of course he had needed to show that he was the right man for this job!

When Clarisse came down the steps, Rupert met her and kissed her hand. It was just another annoying hand kiss, and she didn't feel anything. 'Not the way I did when Joseph kissed it that night. Oh, Joseph.' She tried to find him with her eyes, but there were lots of people and Rupert was at her side asking her for the first dance to open the ball, so she didn't have time either.

Clarisse and Rupert went to the middle of the ball room. The orchestra began to play and they began to move with the rhythm of it. When they moved, Joseph saw her back. The sight thrilled him. He wasn't sure why but his feeling was that he knew that woman. 'That is absolutely impossible.Of course I would know if I had met the Queen before. She needs to be so special… and she's probably an arrogant, egotistical, ugly woman. Nothing else.' Then other couples joined in the dance, and he finally had a better view of the King and Queen.

In the dance the rhythm changed and the couple turned again. Joseph saw her. She was that woman. She was that Clarisse. Clarisse Gerald Renaldi. Definitely not an ugly, egotistical, arrogant lady. But WHAT? A Queen? The two meetings rushed across his mind. The first night when he had met her and had spoken to her. God, that was HER garden, and the gossip he had told her, that was HER life. He had spoken of what she wanted or did not want for her husband and he had spoken to her if she was just another woman on the earth. But she was his boss, actually. He wanted to sink in that moment.

For two whole hours, he just watched. He couldn't get enough of her. He realized that other people watched her too, but he had that privilege of watching her because it was part of his job. He just did his work!

While standing there, Joseph had time to remember. And he realized something that hadn't occured to him previously. Clarisse had never let on to him who she was, and had never given him her full name. So it was not just his fault! 'Why did I need to know who she was!'

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So that was it. Other security people came and took his place. He was free now. And then his words to her came to his mind: 'I promise. When my shift ends, that will be the minute I ask you to dance.' Well, this was the time then. He was very uncertain that he was doing the right thing or not, but if he had promised, he must do it.

The Queen was speaking to a member of the parliament and his wife. Well, rather it was more the two women talking and the man just watching the Queen. No, not watched. He was staring at her so hard that his eyes almost dropped out of his head. Joseph knew, of course, that Clarisse, no, The QUEEN was really beautiful, but a man needed some control to not stare a woman, especially when his wife was next to him!

"May I have this dance, Your Majestry?" Joseph asked, when he was behind Clarisse.

She froze, knowing this voice but never having heard this tone. "Of course, Joseph." Instantly she regretted it. 'What of course? What are people going to think of me? Stupid Risse. But he looks so good in his tux and why I should care about other people? Because I need to! Oh, damn it!'

When they were on the dance floor and she felt his strong arms around her, she felt herself safer than any time in her life, but she also knew that they had to speak.

No one noticed Jackob, the man who minutes earlier had been watching the Queen. He had a bigger problem right now than wondering with whom the Queen was dancing. His wife was furious, and he had to admit that she had a reason to be. The whole time he had watched another woman, and he knew that his wife would not forget it. They just needed to go home, and rid of the desire he felt in his body. So he held his wife's, Jacklin's, hands and they went home…

¤

Making their rounds of the dance floor, they just moved with the music not knowing exactly how they were dancing. Joseph took one of her hands, while the other was on her back. He didn't hold her close to his body, but this closeness was better than nothing. They didn't speak. Joseph didn't ever look into her eyes. She know he felt himself sold and she was sorry now. Yet neither wanted this to be the end of their relationship.

The music ended and Joseph was lost. He felt the situation bad, he felt that he was treacherous, but it had been fun to flirt with her these past days and it was good to hold her in his arms now and he didn't really want to let go of her. She had been all his in the past few days, he had imagined a future together, and now if he let her go he was afraid that he wouldn't feel her again for a long time. But he should let her go. "Your Majesty, would you like to go out into the garden?"

"Yes, that would be good."

They went out onto the balcony, but Joseph walked further so they were out of the guests' earshot, and went right for the rose garden. Before the door, Joseph stopped. "Can I come in?"

Clarisse nodded, but she was a little shocked. She had to realize that their contact had changed, she was not a servant any more, one who he could play! She was the first woman in this country!

They entered and Clarisse sat, but she needed to gesture to Joseph and he just sat down after. Hardly had he done so when he began to speak in a sorrowful voice. "I am so sorry, Your Majesty, for all the things I did or said to you in these past four days, but I really don't know who you were… You didn't tell me, actually."

Clarisse was aware of that Joseph was right. "You don't have to regret anything. I was the one who was not honest. I need to apologize to you. I just couldn't imagine that someone could be this kind to me without knowing who I was."

"Don't said that, Cla…, Your Majestry. You are a really kind, intelligent and, not incidentally, a really attractive woman. I'm sure that lots of men compliment you."

"Yes, but that was first because of my father, because of who I was going to be, now, what I have been for a month now, the King's wife, and just finally for me, the woman. Woman! God, I'm just an older teenager. And no-one treats me as that and never has. When the other children were playing in the playground, I had privacy. I didn't climb trees, didn't swim in the sea, because it's dangerous. But I didn't do little things such as walking down the street and shopping, or going to school. School came to me. And then you came and everything was so different. You just said what you felt, you did what other men didn't dare to do and I was free for hours. It was lovely, and it's hard now." Clarisse's voice was sad when she finished what she wanted to tell.

Joseph understood what was she talking about and he could imagine the pain under her voice. "Please don't be sad, Your Majesty."

"Will you do something for me if I ask you?" Joseph's eyebrows went up with that question and he smiled a little, but nodded.

"Will you continue to call me Clarisse?"

"Oh… I would be honoured, but I don't think it's a proper thing to do for an employer… but in private, I will gladly call you that."

"I would love it, Joseph. And please, don't be cold with me after this. I really would like to be as close to each other as we have been these past days. I never imagined in all my life that someone could be such a joy in my life. I'll feel myself honoured if we could be… friends."

"Friends?... Oh, yes, of course… friends, just friends." added Joseph, quickly and sadly. That was exactly what he had been afraid of. Be just a friend, nothing more.

"Who didn't covet anything else." Then Clarisse thought, 'I think I could fall in love with you more easily than Rupert. So we have one thing…'

"Right." But Joseph also thought, 'If you want me to forget you as a potential girlfriend nominee, I will, but it's going to be hard.' He added aloud, "You need to know that you can turn to me for anything in the world."

"Thank you, Joseph. It's really kind of you. I think I need to go back to the ball. Where are you going now?"

"I need some time to relax. It's not an easy job, especially when there's a ball, with lots of so-called important people. But I think I can handle this. I'm just young but want to learn more."

"I understand, and I expect that probably you'll be protecting an important person some day."

She didn't know how close she was to the truth. In the future, he really would be protecting an important person… one who was important in his heart.

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When Clarisse entered the ball room once again, Rupert saw her and, a little annoyed, asked, "Where the hell were you?"

"Walking."

"At this time? If you would be kind enough to care for our guests, that would be better received!"

Clarisse was a little angry, but she turned and went back into the party as if everything was totally okay. She didn't realize that someone was staring at her the whole time after she came back. In his eyes was longing. He drank champagne first, but then whisky…

¤

At two in the morning, the guests were slowly departing, so Clarisse tried to go away. She searched for Rupert a little, but when she didn't find him, she went to her room. But when she passed Rupert's room, she hesitated. It was, after all, seemly to at least say good night to him. She knocked.

"Come in." came an annoyed voice.

When she entered and looked for her husband, he was standing next to the table. Or better, he was leaning on for the table, a half-empty whisky bottle in his other hand.

"I just come to tell you good night." Clarisse said, shyly and quietly.

"I see. Then come closer so you could tell me good night more properly. You can give me a kiss then."

When she went closer, she was too scared to realize what was going to happen and to think that this might not be a good idea. She didn't see the look in his eyes, the slight twinkle. He was drunk, having begun with champange then, when realizing that his wife had disappeared after he had seen her dancing in an unfamiliar man's arms, he had turned to whisky.

When Clarisse was close to him, he leaned against the table, not needing to hold it because he had other plans in his mind. When she was close enough, he caught her and pushed her back hard against the desk. Clarisse felt pain as Rupert was a strong man in the prime of his life. Rupert then kissed her hard but her lips were closed to him. She felt the first kiss followed by another and another, each getting more and more forceful. When Rupert kissed her neck, she almost screamed for the pain she felt in that place, and as if that were not enough, she felt two strong hands grab her breasts. This was the absolute first time that a man had done that, and she hadn't imagined it this way, for sure. She cried out in pain, feeling Rupert began to not kiss, but more suck her neck. He was just like a dog who had finally caught his victim and Clarisse didn't want to be a part of it for this, not for now anyway.

"Stop it!" she cried out.

"No, not now." He took her dress zipper and tried to pull it off, but it didn't work right so he just ripped it off her. When the expensive dress fell on the floor, he smiled and looked at Clarisse in her white underclothes for a few moments. Then he grabbed her and began to bite her neck.

"Stop this. It hurts!" But it was no use. "Can you hear me? Auch!"

Rupert gripped her arms hard under the shoulders and tried to throw her on the desk once more. But then his legs tangled in Clarisse's dress on the floor, and he needed to hold the table so as not to fall. This second was enough for Clarisse to snake out of his hands and run out of the room.

When she was out, she went right for her room, but then stopped. 'Am I cazy? This is going to be the first place he'll search for me.' So she turned and went in the other direction.

"Smart women." said the footmen at her door at the same time, after they had thrown open her room doors. Of course they had heard all of their Queen's words, but they didn't have the right to help her.

When Rupert came to himself, he went out of his room and went to hers, seeing that the door was wide open. Not finding her, and being tired, he didn't bother himself any more but instead went back to his room, took off his clothes and laid on his bed.

Clarisse was at a loss for where to go, but she ended up going to one of the small living rooms and collapsing on the sofa.

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He didn't sleep at all that night. He was just thinking and thinking over and over again if he had done the right thing asking her to do something that she didn't really want to. Of course she hadn't said that, but he hadn't ever asked her. Was he wrong for not doing so? Yes, he thought so. But he loved her! He just didn't know how to show it. After seeing her now, he began to feel the times he had lost from her life, times he didn't have time to deal with her or talk to her! He just bought all that a girl could dream of, but was she happy?

Some time later, he went into the living room to look for something he could read, and he found her on the sofa, fast asleep with bruises on her body and not many clothes on.

He sat on the end of the sofa and caressed Clarisse really softly. "Are you all right?" he asked quietly, but she didn't open her eyes. He tried for some time to wake her, but finally went out into the corridor and asked two security guards to take her to her room.

Mark covered her with a blanket and just lay down next to her, but then ended up sleeping next to his girl.

¤

Hours later in the morning when Clarisse opened her eyes, she found that she was in her own bed, and next to her was someone! 'Someone!' She sat up in her bed so fast that the blanket slid down her body. Then she remembered what had happened and finally looked at the man next to her. She recognized him immediately, but didn't remember how he had gotten there, or how she had gotten back to her own bed. She got out of bed carefully, so as not to wake him, and went to the bathroom. She took a shower then dressed, trying to cover the blue and green spots that covered her body. It didn't hurt quite as much as it looked like it should. When she was ready, she went back to the bed.

"Father?" she asked when she was sitting next to him.

He opened his eyes and look at her then remembered everything. He sat up immediately and asked, with real pain in his voice, "Is everything okay with you?"

"Yes, but what are you doing here?"

"I was worrying about you and when you didn't wake, I thought I would just lie down next to you, my girl. Is that ok for you?" With that, he stroked her hair a little.

Clarisse was comfortable with this caress, something she hadn't felt in a long time. "You don't need to worry about me, Father. I accept what I think is necessary and what I want to."

"But Rupert is… "

"Yes, I agreed to marry him, because I wanted to, after all. In my back of my mind, I like to help people. But I don't give some parts easily and my body is one of those! So don't fear for me."

"I'm really proud of you right now. I hope that all of your dreams come true, my girl, because I see that you have plans for the future and that you will become a very good Queen." Clarisse blushed a little at that, and Mark continued, "And I'm becoming very sentimental."

They share a father-daughter kiss, then walked out the door.

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When Clarisse was eating in her breakfast, one of her lady's maids brought her a message from her husband. He wanted to meet her in half an hour at the gate near the cars…

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¤¤Within trials of love end 5¤¤

More is coming soon...

If you have time please wrote a review from me, so I can know what are you think of this part and my hole fanficton. Thank you.


	6. Chapter 6

I need to: Thank you so much Susan who correct this part from me.

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¤¤Within trials of love 6¤¤ 

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When Clarisse was ready, she went immediately to the front where the limousines were waiting. Rupert kissed her cheek and helped her one into of the vehicles. For security reasons, they were not travelling together this time. That was something that Clarisse hadn't understood yet: when they could and when they could not travel together. Now, however, the fact was that Clarisse's journey was lonely. She didn't even know where they were going at first. Fifteen minutes later, she realized that she was at the airport.

When she got out of the car, Rupert was by her side just minutes later. Seeing some people get suitcases from the limos and taking them to Genovia One, the private royal airplane, Clarisse turned to her husband, and asked, "Where are we going, Rupert?"

"To Switzerland."

"Switzerland! But why?"

"I think we need a honeymoon right now," Rupert said casually.

"A honeymoon? In Switzerland? NOW?" Clarisse was surprised.

"What is the problem with that? We will spend three days there, together. Just the two of us."

"Yes, of course, it's a. . . wonderful idea." This last was said without much confidence in her voice.

"Well, then, shall we board the airplane? Of course, that's only if you don't want to walk all the way." Rupert said, laughing at himself.

"Don't be afraid. Only seven security guards are coming with us."  
Clarisse merely smiled, but thought to herself, 'I hate cold cities! I don't want to go to honeymoon! And especially not with seven other people's company.'

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The journey was torture for Clarisse. She really did not like flying. Everyone had tried to calm her down when she was a little girl, telling her that flying was a good, fun thing, but she just didn't like it. Right at the moment, she didn't particularly want to speak to Rupert, either, so she pretended that she was sleeping.  
After a three hour journey, there was a half hour car ride, and this time Clarisse was alone again. She looked out the car window and was forced to admit that this place was truly amazing. Snow covered every tree, but the landscape was beautiful. In Genovia, there were four seasons, but the winter was usually milder, with just a little snow at Christmas and no more.

---------

"Would you like to walk a little before lunch?"

"Yes, I would. Thank you for asking."

One hour later, Clarisse was beginning to realize that Rupert was not the man she had thought he was. Here he was kind and a little funny too, not cold as he appeared in Genovia. They talked not as wife and husband but as two people who had just met one other and wanted to know more things about the other.

Rupert's upbringing had been split: his mother was sharp and wanted to Rupert work hard, while his father encouraged him to enjoy life. So Rupert needed to do his work immaculately but his pastimes entailed relaxing and treating life like a big party. Rupert had loved his mother, knowing he had much to thank her for. He had missed her when she had died two years before his father. He had a half brother who was twenty years younger than Rupert himself. In their early years, they had been good friends. Rupert had loved to pamper him, but at the age of twenty-one, Tom went to school in America. In the past three years, they had just met occasionally. Tom hadn't come for his brother's wedding, but he had promised that he would come soon to meet the new Queen.

Clarisse slowly began to see the man behind the mask. She had known from the beginning that Rupert had worn as mask just as she did herself, and now she enjoyed solve the mystery of her husband.

"I know that for you it's a little strange to be married a man that you didn't really know and the longest time we have spent together was at our wedding, but I want you to know that I didn't want to rush you, so we didn't hurry. I'd like to get to know you better and want you to know me better too," said Rupert in such a tone of voice that Clarisse nearly believed it.

She answered, "Thank you," but thought, 'Sure we didn't hurry. I have three whole days now, right?'

"That's fine.Then maybe we could go to lunch."

Lunch was over in forty minutes and Rupert offered to teach Clarisse to ski. At first she didn't want to learn, but in the end she found herself in a store where they bought ski clothes for her.

"Now you need to ski down from here," Rupert said later that afternoon when they were standing at the top of a hill. "It's really little so you didn't need to do anything except the swing stop at the end. Are you ready?"

"I'm not sure that I want this," Clarisse ventured to say.

"It's easy. Everything is going to be all right."

At first it was not that easy for her, but soon Clarisse realized that skiing was not that bad. Moreover, Rupert was an excellent teacher and he enjoyed skiing as much as he excelled at it.

---------

They ate their dinner at the hotel. The table was not decorated with candles as they were still in their ski clothes, but the meal was tasty. After dinner was the first time that Clarisse inquired as to the location of her room.

"Our room. Come on, I'll show you."  
Suddenly Clarisse found that she was not looking forward to the rest of the trip.

---------

Their room was on the fifth floor, and was very elegant and expensive. The suite was really large, but the first thing that caught her eye was the French bed. . .

Clarisse was the first who went to the bathroom. When she was ready, she began to search for something to put on, but all she found were lacy and lacier nighties. So she put on a bathrobe too and went out to tell Rupert it was his turn. She tried to read but she just couldn't concentrate on it. All she could think of was that this was the first night she would truly be in bed with her husband. This actually was her wedding night.

She was nervous, although his voice echoed in her head 'We didn't hurry.' On the other hand, there was the other night when Rupert had been more a bastard then a man, who could hardly wait for his wife to be ready for her first night. But now, here, she didn't have any place to run. . .

¤

In Genovia, there was one man who was really upset about what he had heard that morning. First of all, why the hell had that man imagined himself to be that mad and insulated from this woman, and secondly, why the hell did he take her on a honeymoon?

He hadn't actually seen her, but he desperately wanted to be there next to her. If she needed any help he knew he could help her. . . but not there. He wanted to run after that woman but he didn't have the right to do it. He was just a simple security man. However, 'If I learn some other things as well, probably I can climb the ladder, and then some day I will have the right to go where my lady goes! Oh stop it, man. She is not your lady!'

He was really popular with the girls. Surely he didn't really care about her. Yes, there were some really good-looking women, but for him, beauty was just one criterion. He needed someone who was not as silly as a snail. It seemed that all women were the same: good looking and silly or smart but ugly. And now. . . now he had found someone who was smart, funny and amazingly beautiful. . . yet married.

But that was just one little paper. . .

He had known from the first moment when he had laid eyes on her that she was the one for him, and now he would do anything just to be near her. If he could not be with her, then at least he would be near her.

All of his spare time was spent with the other men working in the palace long enough to know something about it. He watched the system, the cameras, the plan and all of that. He realized some really interesting things about the places. . . it was built for a war, to withstand any siege. His face showed that he had cheered up a little.

¤

Rupert was gone for a long time so as the time went by, Clarisse grew more tired then nervous. She tried to keep her eyes open, but slowly she felt the need to just close them.

-----------

Clarisse didn't know how much time went by, but she felt someone quietly try to wake her. When she finally opened her eyes, she saw her husband slowly lean closer to her and kissed her very gently. Realizing that she wasn't fighting him, he kissed her with more passion. The kisses continued with more and more power and became longer. Clarisse began to enjoy the moment and she returned the kisses heartily. Her arms were caressing his neck which seemed to indicate excitement, so he slid his arms to the blanket and began to pull it off her very slowly.

As the blanket showed more of her body, the kisses became more rampant. Clarisse's breath was erratic and she clung to Rupert's neck. The kisses were phenomenal but yet she didn't felt the need to continue this. . . again.

Rupert began to strip off her clothes when Clarisse suddenly pushed him off.

"What is the problem now?" he asked wearily.

"I don't think I want it."

"Want what?"

"I. . . don't know," admitted Clarisse in a quiet voice.

Rupert was strangely not very frustrated. He just lay back in the bed and pulled Clarisse with him, so that her head was on his chest. His arms were around her and he spoke in a patient voice. "So, what don't you want me to do?"

With that Clarisse moved a little closer and her arms were on his chest. "This whole lover thing. I like you, but all of this is too fast for me. One day I was a little girl and the next moment, I'm someone's wife."

"I know that. But how many times need I tell you that this is all right? You see, we are just talking right now. . ."

"Yes, but. . ."

"But?"

"When you came home from that journey. . ." She didn't have the chance to finish the sentence because Rupert spoke right away.

"I am sorry. But you know, I really wanted you then. I didn't imagine that I could wait even one second longer before having you. However, I calmed myself down so you didn't have to go away. I realized that I was a big ass. You deserve the most passionate night a women can get."

She believed him, but needed to ask, so sat up a little and said, "So what about the last night?"

"What last night?" asked Rupert, totally ignorant.

Clarisse sat right up and showed the greenish bruises on her skin.

"Who did that?" Rupert demanded.

"WHO? You did!"

"I? But when and why? I don't remember."

"You must be joking, right?"

"I never did something like this to you," exclaimed Rupert.

"Well, it seems to me like you already did it." Clarisse lay back on Rupert's chest.

"I really don't remember.I know that I was there at the ball and danced with you. Then I just watched you when you danced with a lot of different kinds of men. But I remember one in particular who was quite handsome and I became a little interested in who it was and asked for a little whisky instead of my champagne. But after that, I don't remember anything." Rupert was lost in his thoughts some moments and caressed Clarisse's short dark-blonde hair. "I think I got drunk, but I don't know how I got from my suite and actually don't rememberyou after you left the balcony with that man."

"But you offended me when I come back."

"Where had the two of you gone, anyway?"

"This is not the question now!"

"What do you want me to say about this? I'm really sorry." He raised Clarisse head and gave her a long kiss. Between kissing her, he murmured some more 'sorry' words.

Then she lifted her head again from his chest. One another question had come into her mind. She was afraid about the answer, but needed to know it anyway. "Rupert, be honest with me, please. Has anything like this ever happened before?"

"Oh Sweetie" he began indignantly, but then continued in a softer voice, "There have been other times in the past when I would wake up beside women who I didn't know and didn't remember and not until morning did I realized what I had done to her."

"I see."

"But I didn't want it and didn't know why really! I felt very badly about it afterwards," he said, trying to explain himself.

"How many other times?" But Clarisse felt that he didn't want to answer so asked again, "How many?" There was another long pause so she changed the question. "When did those times happen?"

"After my Mother died. My father and I hadn't really found our new place in the world without her, and for two years we spend some really bohemian nights."

"Before that, something like this never happened?"

"No, never. Just those two years, and very rarely even then. I don't know what came over me. When I woke up in the mornings, usually there were women who cried softly. I never remembered what I had done," Rupert's voice was full of regret which Clarisse heard quite clearly, so she didn't want to flay him more.

"Don't you want to sleep a little? I'm really tired now," she said in a really kind voice. "This skiing is a really hard thing to do. But I must confess that I had a really good teacher."

"The learner was good enough, too. Clarisse, I can't tell you how many little things I might ask from you. Thank you for everything. Good night."

"Good night, Rupert."

¤

¤¤Within trials of love end 6¤¤

* * *

More is coming soon...

If you have time please wrote a review from me.


	7. Chapter 7

¤¤Within trials of love 7¤¤

¤

The next morning Clarisse woke up to find Rupert sitting in the other side of the bed and looking at her.  
"Good morning!" he said.   
"Good morning to you, too. How long were you looking at me?" she asked.  
"Long enough to know that you are really an angel when you dream too," he said and leaned over to give her a kiss on her forehead.  
"Hm, it looks like you didn't know me well enough."  
"Well, I can know you faster than you can me, if we look at it from our ages."  
"Oh please, Rupert, don't say that."  
"Why not? It's the truth and. . . "   
"We'll talk about it some other time, but now I'm interested in what we going to do today." The moment she had said that, she regretted it.

Rupert gave her a inscrutable look and carefully moved his arms from the end of the blanket and slowly began to pull it off her. "I think that I. . . " he said, "will. . . take off your blanket and. . . give you time to get dressed. . . and then we can go to skiing. Today I want to take you higher and see if you like skiing down from there."  
"What?"  
"Oh, if you like, you can still ski from that little hill that you tried yesterday. If you're scared. . . "  
"Me, scared about something like this?" With that, she was out of the bed and into the bathroom.

---------

"Now I know why so many couples have separate bedrooms," grinned Rupert, when he saw his wife finally coming from the bathroom. She had been there for half an hour. During that time, he had put on his clothes and now he was reading the news. "And they say that this time is just going to get longer and longer as the years go by! Oh my God, how many hours will I need to wait for you in ten years?" he added teasingly.  
"Don't talk like that. I was not gone that long!"  
"No, no, of course not. What was I thinking? I can just go around the world in that time, but yes, you were quick. . . "  
"Can we go now, or do you feel the need to say anything else to me?"  
"In a minute. You are ready, but I haven't spent one minute in that bathroom. I think you probably rather not spend your day with an unshaven men. . . and I don't think that you need much more than five minutes wrap any man around your little finger and have him escort you anywhere."   
"Thank you for the compliment, but I need to look at you. . . " She went really close to him and with one of her fingers she very slowly caressed his mouth. "There. Now you may go. While I'm waiting, I'll eat my breakfast," said Clarisse, removing her fingers and going to the table while Rupert took a deep breath then finally went from the bedroom.

¤

The ski-lift cabin took them up the mountain and they spent all day skiing. Clarisse was good, very good at it. Rupert had been skiing since the day he had turned eight. Clarisse had only been trying two days and already she was as good as him. Not having much time, they just ate some fast food next to the ski hill, then at dinner time went to the hotel's restaurant without changing clothes. They enjoyed themselves and didn't felt uncomfortable in the other's company. This would be normal with a couple who had just gotten married, but for them it was two days of hard work.  
The night came quite early and they went back to the hotel. They had only half a day left, because the next day Rupert needed to be home to be a part of an afternoon conference in Genovia. They decided to do the fifteen minute journey on foot, but it was really cold and Clarisse began to feel colder as the time went by and she pressed closer to Rupert's warmth. They wrapped their arms around each other and caressed the other's waist as they walked.  
In the hotel's lobby, Rupert had the idea that probably Clarisse needed to drink something what would help her feel warmer and to loosen her mind a little and help her relax as she was still a little uptight. 'Yes, a little. . . maybe a little more alcohol wouldn't hurt.' "We'll order some mulled wine, and you'll begin to feel warmer," he said as they moved towards the corner table in the bar.  
"Oh, I don't like that kind of thing. I prefer to drink tea."  
"Have you every tried mulled wine?" he asked.  
"No. . . admitted Clarisse shyly.  
"Yet you already know that you didn't like it! Well, I think I need to learn a lot more," Rupert said jokingly. "Don't be childish. You're going to like it, believe me."   
"But I really don't want it. I have never felt the need to drink any alcohol."  
"Come on," Rupert didn't have the chance to finish his sentence when the waiter arrived to take their order. Then he had an idea. "We want mulled wine and camomile tea. But I want them in identical cups," he said and Clarisse smiled.

When the two identical cups came to the table, Rupert knew immediately which one was the wine. He handed that to Clarisse and he took the tea for himself. They warmed their hands a little then they drank deeply. For Clarisse, the taste was a little strange, but when she felt the liquid flow down her throat and she was forced to admit that this was not a bad feeling. The hot feeling began to grow and grow and percolate through her whole body.

They talked for a while and then ordered again, but this time regular tea and chilled wine. When the waiter brought out the order, Clarisse took the wine and set the tea in front of Rupert. He said nothing, and just smiled a little. Soon afterwards, Clarisse began to speak slower and her sentences were not always coherent.

---------

When they finally wanted to move to their room, Rupert tried to help Clarisse up, but she was headstrong and wouldn't let him. However, when she tried to stand up it was only possible when she allowed the help of David, one of their security men. There were two security men with them in the elevator, standing in front of them, so Clarisse found it necessary to cling to her husband if she didn't want to fall down.

Rupert studied Clarisse and saw something he had seen in many other pairs of eyes but never in his wife's. He had hardly any time to think about it before Clarisse was in his arms, pushing him back against the lift wall as she began to kiss his face.  
"It's. . . it is. . . really better. . .than morning," she mumbled, kissing Rupert's neck.

Rupert knew that they were not in an ideal place for this type of behaviour, but he wouldn't have minded this moment if they were in a ballroom with two hundred other people there. If his wife finally had the notion to kiss him, there was no way he was going to stop her now. He closed his eyes and enjoyed every minute of the kisses that were warming up his body. The caresses coming from her were so welcome, well, unbelievable after so much waiting time. Finally he had his wife.

When the door opened, just the two security men saw them. Rupert was so lost he almost missed David's soft cough. He groaned. "Clarisse, Clarisse, we need to go to our room."  
Clarisse looked around and answered quickly, "I'm fine here."  
"But, Clarisse!"  
In answer to this, Clarisse nipped Rupert's neck. This was the moment when Rupert picked her up in his arms, and carried her to their room.

"Oh my! I can't believe it," whispered Rupert when Clarisse tried unsuccessfully to pull off his ski clothes. He began to take control. He was the one who finally removed her ski clothes after he had let his coat fall to the floor. He began to place little kisses on one then the other of Clarisse's shoulders, then nuzzled her neck and chest.

Clarisse felt a strange but glorious tingle pierce her body. Rupert was concentrating on arousing her body more and more. He stroked her arms and let the clothes drop on the floor. He stroked down her legs, took off her shoes and then completely removed her ski clothes, leaving her only in her underclothes. They were not something lacy, just simple ( but expensive ) ones. However, the woman wearing them was not at all simple.

Looking up into her eyes, Rupert saw the cloud in her usually beautiful and shining eyes, and something happened in him. He took a deep breath, then stood up, leaving Clarisse on the bed and under the blanket. She wove her hands around his neck and tried to kiss him, but he drew away. Slowly he caressed her hair, and spoke softly yet full of emotion. "I don't want to do something that I know I will regret in the morning, and probably you will never remember." Clarisse was lost, but couldn't think of what to say. Rupert caressed her hair, gave her a closed-mouth kiss, then wished her a good night. Moments later she was sleeping and Rupert went to the bathroom. He really felt the need for a cold shower. He couldn't remember any time when he hadn't taken advantage of a situation like that before. It was a very painful experience for his body, but he was sure it would be good for his soul.

¤

'What's wrong with me?' asked Clarisse, who waked up half an hour earlier. She was in the same bed as her husband. She sat up and in the semi-darkness the only thing she could saw was his naked chest. It was raising and falling and she found it very attractive. Of course she saw a man's chest before, after all she was not a nun!

She felt the need in her body, what she's never felt before. And if she wanted to be honest with herself she was curious too. The fear was gone and now she felt herself ready for doing what she never did before.

"Rupert!" she said softly. He didn't seem to respont it. She caressed his chest with her fingers, first just slowly and softly, but then she turned around, so she was lying next to him really close and then she caressed his chest a little more harder. Rupert murmured something in his dream and Clarisse took a deep breath and kissed his chest.  
Her touch first was gentle, but then she kissed all her way down until his stomach. That was the point when Rupert's eyes opened and looked down to his wife and realized that his own body come to life.

"Clarisse?" asked Rupert really unsure of what happening. Her face blushed a little and turned her head away, but Rupert caught her chin and lifted it up, so he could look right in her eyes. Clarisse slowly shook her head, but he quietly asked again "Clarisse?" She answered , but it was nearly a whisper "I think I'm ready, and I want it." Rupert's eyes glinted "You want what sweety?"

"Be your wife. . . do what a woman do in bed with her husband. . . whatever it is." said the last bit only for herself. "I try to be gentle, if anything is not ok just tell." Clarisse noded and allowed Rupert to turn her onto her back then he reached the blanket down and a few moments later she felt that he slowly pulled her lingerie down.

The next thing she could remember was that Rupert's one hand was next to her head and the other was under the blanket, and she felt something hard slowly touched her center. It was a really strange feeling at first, then she blushed when she realized that what exactly was that thing which stroked her center up and down. A little later she began to feel better and better, she wanted more, didn't know what, just wanted more.

Rupert was good in it and felt proud of himself that her body began to tremble a bit. . . and even better when she felt the wet thing under his hard part. He slowly moved his member in her slippery liquid. "It's ok. You're very good."

Clarisse was afraid of this something what excited her body, but if it was okay then be it. But she suddenly instead of something good, she felt pain and a little scream left her mouth. "Sorry. It's just because it's your first time." Clarisse noded and Rupert moved deeper, but this time really slowly, then he stopped.

A few moments later he began to slid out a little, then back again. Every movement was slower then he ever imagined he could perform with his arousal. The pain was still there but soon it changed to good. It felt good.

She was so tight and with every movement more and more inviting. He made love to her as slowly as he could. He was in heaven. She enjoyed it more and more as time went by, she imagined lovemaking as an ocean. She was in the middle of it when they began, but now she saw the beach what was even closer and closer. . . but before she reached it suddenly the water swallowed her and then Rupert's moveless body was next to her. . .

"Well?" asked Rupert later.  
"Well?"  
"What was it like?"  
"Oh, it was. . . strange, I think." Rupert turned to her and began to laugh a little.

"Strange? This was your first time and all you can say it was strange? Oh my, I love you." He gave her a kiss to her forehead and fell asleep.

¤

¤¤Within trials of love end 7¤¤


	8. Chapter 8

¤¤Within trials of love 8¤¤

¤

"Tell me again. . . what did my wife do?" asked the King.  
"Your Majesty?" asked John, trying to be sure that he really needed to tell the story again, since it was evident that the King was becoming angrier and angrier.  
"SPEAK!"  
"Your wife spent the last day and night with a man, who she met shortly after you left her in Switzerland."  
"Damn it! I have never known a woman more shy than my wife is!" Rupert's thoughts continued, 'And I was her first, that's for sure. She still was frightened in the morning when she saw the sheet.' When he had left her because he had needed to go a meeting, they had agreed that she would spend one more day there before coming back to Genovia. Only one day!

"She is on the plane now, Your Majesty, and will be landing in about two hours if you want to go see her."  
"NO! You go to her. I will speak with her when she gets to the palace."  
"As you wish."

_¤1 day earlier¤ _

_"Hello."   
"Hello." Clarisse answered the man who was a stranger to her.  
"Are you lonely?"  
"Not really."   
"Oh, I just thought that you were maybe a little lonely, because you are so beautiful and you are alone."  
"I'm not alone! My husband just went home this morning!" Clarisse retorted, a little angrily.  
"So you are alone now." She shrugged without responding this time. He persisted. "Why don't you ski?"  
"I already was skiing today."  
"It's only 11!"  
"Well, it was enough for me." The man looked surprised and Clarisse smiled a little. "I don't really like it." she confided. _

_The man laughed at this. "This is good! You are in one of the most expensive ski paradises in the world, and you don't like skiing." He leaned a little closer. "I don't like it that much myself either. May I sit down?"  
"Yes." Clarisse smiled and nodded. The man sat down across from her. _

_"So why are you here if you don't like skiing?"  
"My husband likes it, and I had never tried it before. It's not bad and I'm quite good at it now. But I must admit, I prefer sunning."  
"That is a hard sport! You are hot everywhere and that much movement and action!" He said it with irony in his voice but Clarisse knew right away that he was only teasing her. _

_It was strange but Clarisse felt that there was something familiar about the man. She was sure that she had never seen him before and yet there was something about him which she knew from somewhere. He looked to be only seven or eight years older than she was. _

_The man leant closer to her and asked quietly, "Those men who have been looking at you from the time I came in. . . are they your secret lovers or do they just love looking at you?"  
"They are definitely not my lovers!" said Clarisse, blushing.  
"Sorry, my dear, I didn't mean to be pushy." he said, looking into her eyes.  
Clarisse felt his eyes on her and she felt in her heart that she could tell him the truth. . . well not the whole truth. "They are my bodyguards, but nothing else."  
"Are you famous? Can you give me an autograph?"  
"No, I'm not." _

_He felt that she didn't want to talk about it any more so he changed the subject. "Did you see the country?"  
"No, I didn't have time for it."  
"Would you care to see it with me today?"  
This was a little bit much. It was all right to speak with a man at a table but to go out with him? She was not schooled in this, and wasn't sure how to respond.  
"Of course your gorillas may come too."  
She smiled at that. "If you tell me your name, perhaps we will come."  
"I'm Tom, my Dear." He got up and bowed before kissing her hand.  
"I'm Clarisse and I would be honored to go and see the country with you." _

_--------- _

_"I was run off my feet and I'm exhausted, but it was worth it."   
"I'm glad that you enjoyed yourself. I enjoyed myself too." _

_They were back to the hotel and they were standing before Clarisse's suite. She felt so good after the day and it was hard to go back into that big room and to be alone again. Tom felt her hesitation. "Would you do me the honor of coming to my suite for dinner?" he asked. _

_Clarisse smiled and nodded. _

_--------- _

_The dinner was perfect. Eating in his suite was a great idea, because they didn't feel any other eyes watching them. The fire was burning in the fireplace and they were sitting before it drinking hot chocolate before Clarisse felt asleep in the couch. Tom took off her shoes and jacket and then carried her to his bed, covered her, kissed her forehead and went to sleep on the couch. He smiled, because he already knew who she was. She liked him, but she didn't know who HE was. His surprise plan was ready. She was amazing both inwardly and in her outward appearance too, and he needed to know that she was served as well as she deserved. . . even if it meant that he needed to see Rupert again. _

_They had talked quite a bit this day and both had found the other to be a really good person. At first, Clarisse had found it a little strange to be speaking with a man this intimately but then he spoke about himself a little. After the information she received then, Clarisse was no longer shy. She felt herself to be completely safe in his presence. _

_However, on the other side of the door, some men were really suprised with her behaviour and frightened when pondering their employer's reaction. _

_¤_

"Hello Rupert." smiled Clarisse when she met her husband in his office.   
"Hello Clarisse."  
Clarisse had smiled at him but she immediately felt the coldness in his voice. "What is the matter?"  
"How was your one day alone? Or were you NOT alone?"

This was the very first time that Clarisse thought about Rupert and what he might think about her. She had forgotten that her guards would probably tell him that she had spent a day with another man. Horrified, she thought 'God, I spent a night in his room! What will Rupert think about me now?'

"Rupert, I'm sorry. I forgot about you! But nothing happened!" said Clarisse.  
"You forgot about me? How the hell did you forget that you have a husband?"  
"I didn't forget that I have a husband. Allow me to explain. . . !"  
"YOU spent the night with another man's bed! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN ABOUT IT?"  
"Please, it is not what you think."   
"Not what I think?"  
"Listen! I was in his bed, but he was on the couch."  
"Sure I can believe THAT." Rupert answered with lots of iron in his voice.  
"Yes, you MUST believe it, because this is the truth. Please." Clarisse was desperate now.  
"Now you listen to ME! I love you and I want you to myself, ALL by myself!"  
"I'm yours! Nothing happened!"  
"Before you were with me, I believe nothing happened. But HOW LONG DID YOU WANT HIM before me? You were so shy and. . ." he tried to continue but her voice stopped him.

"He is GAY!" Clarisse said loudly.

"What?"   
"You heard me. Yes, he is. He was so kind and he looked familiar when we began to speak. We. . . became friendly and he told me."  
'No, it can't be.' thought Rupert. He knew only one person who was gay. "What was his name?"  
"Tom."

"TOM?" Rupert said out loud, just as Tom himself appeared in the doorway.

"Hi, Brother."

"BROTHER?" asked Clarisse in shock.

"I think we both had something that we didn't tell the other." smiled Tom and went to kiss Clarisse's hand.  
Rupert's eyes filled with anger. "DON'T YOU DARE KISS MY WIFE!"

Clarisse drew back her hand and looked from one to the other. Finally, in a shy voice, she asked "Can someone please explain it to me?"   
Tom looked at her and in spite of Rupert's angry look, he kissed her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you again, my Dear."   
"She is mine, Tom. And besides which, she is a woman. Your boys away on a holiday or something?"

The air between them was heating up and Clarisse realized that it was not an accident that she had never heard before that Rupert had a younger brother.  
"No." answered Tom, sounding injured.  
"Then go back to them, NOW." said Rupert with strength in his voice.

Tom began to go out of the room when he heard Clarisse's soft voice. "I'd like him to stay."  
Rupert looked in shock at his wife. "But he is gay!"  
"I know, but it doesn't matter. He is a wonderful man and I like to speak with both of you, and it will be good for all of us to talk. You may tell me your childhood and everything together."

Tom turned and both looked at her as if she were crazy.  
Clarisse sighed. "Oh, you really don't like each other. But will you try to be a little more human for the other if I ask you to?"

Again they looked at each other and then back to Clarisse. How in the hell could they say no to this woman?

"I will try anything for you, Clarisse." said Tom at last.

"I'm sorry about earlier and yes, I will try. . . for you." Rupert muttered.

"Your apology is accepted, but please try to act as if you're doing this because you want to and not because I ask you to."

They didn't answer that but it was already enough for Clarisse that they both knew what she wanted.

¤

In another part of the castle was a man feeling caught between rumours and other rumours. Of course everyone in the palace knew what had happend after the King had left Switzerland. The Queen had spent her time with another man, and now this man was in the palace. But what was he doing here? What did he want? The man could only hope that it was not 'his' lady who was taken away.

It was bad enough to know that the only woman he had ever loved, THE woman for him, was another man's wife. He had already accepted this. . . but to know that probably she was already another man's lover too was killing him. Not mainly because of her body, but mostly because of her soul, he loved her and it was only the icing on the cake that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

He was tossing and turning in his bed that day, trying to sleep from his night's job. He could not sleep, as she was in his mind every minute. She was always in his mind but it was something completely different to think about her because he wanted to see or speak to her or because he didn't know if she was already in love with another man. . . before she ever loved him, before she ever knew that HE loved her!

He got up finally, dressed and went to the kitchen since it was always the best place to know the latest gossip. The ladies were happy to see him as he always tried to speak kindly to every woman and it was worth it. His requests were always on the top of the list. He wasn't disappointed this night, either. Ten minutes later, he knew the latest news. The man was gay! And he was Rupert's brother!

He went back to his bed. Alone. There were plenty of ladies who had offered themselves to him - some overtly, some secretly - but he was too happy to ever think about another woman. She was not in love with another man! So he still might have a chance. . . he just needed to think about how to seduce her.

¤

¤¤Within trials of love end 8¤¤


	9. Chapter 9

Oh my, what can I say? Less and less people read this story as chapters went by and I lost interest, but as I had read other stories here in .net I realized that I don't like unfinished stories as it's annoying. So I decided to end this anyway, if only one people will read than one people will read I can't help it, but she / he will read it till the end as it's completed.

So I re-read this story and added this last one chapter. I don't like this ending I have to tell you, but I just felt this story need to be end like this. I know it's strange but anyway if you read you'll understand.

I hope you'll like it.

**¤¤Within trials of love 9¤¤**

_* Months later till last chapter*_

"I need to confess something to you as you are my second best friend." There he said it, no turning back now. He waited long enough to tell his secret. He had wanted to share his feeling to someone, but didn't know if he is doing good or bad with it but now he made up his mind and decided to tell it as he needed answers. There will be never better time and anyway where can he found any better people? He knew his secret will be in good hands and he will never be betrayed.

"You seem very serious." – answered the other people in the room.

"Yes, I am. It's something very important to me and close to my heart."

"Do you need a whisky for it? Just to make you lose yourself more you know."

"Great idea, thanks."

"Make one for me too! You should never know maybe I'll need it too."

After he had fetched the drinks, they clink. – "For your secret." –Then both drank quite a large glass of whisky then sit back for their original position.

They were in Joseph's room. It was one of the many in the place for the security guards. It was a one room, one bathroom suite. The room was big enough for one people to live in it. It was tastefully decorated with quality pieces of furniture's in black and dark brown colors. What was not original and most probably not one of the other security room ever had is the other people sitting on the couch next to him.

"Right my man, tell me what you want to. You made me curios."

"You are not wasting your time." – said Joseph

"That's not true. Lots of people will disagree with you in this." They both burst out laughing "But anyway."

Joseph took a deep breath then said "I love…."

"I love you too Honey I already told you that. " – Then playfully began to lay closer to Joseph.

Joseph stood up quickly "TOM please! I think I need another glass of this." With this Joseph went back to the mini-bar what was used very rarely since he was working on the place for one year now. He filled another glass for himself with whisky than added some ice on it but didn't touch it.

"Hey sorry please finish it. But boy, your face was phenomenal." – laughed Tom. When he saw that Joseph is not going to continue it he finished it for himself "You love the beautiful and intelligent young Clarisse Gerald Renaldi, Queen of Genovia and sadly wife of my brother."

Joseph turned around so quickly it was hard to follow. "How do you know! Am I so transparent?"

"You are not very discreet my friend, but I think I have more of an eye on it then others so don't worry….yet."

Joseph sat back down "What do you think I should do?"

"Honestly?"

"Jesus Cries Tom was you this irritating always or this is just a new thing? I didn't realize it till now."

"Hope you like it, just for you. " Tom winked and Joseph smiled.

They became very good friends in the past few months since they had known each other. It began with Joseph wanted to know who is the man Clarisse is so fond of. He didn't disappoint in Clarisse, she had eye to know great people who is worth to know. Very soon Tom and Joseph found a common ground both in hobbies as in interests. It was a little strange for Joseph because how people looked to him when they realized how close they are before they had know that they are not THAT close, but now he just didn't care. Tom was a great guy even if he was gay and didn't understand the negativity what followed him anywhere he went. They will never be lovers, but they are like brothers to the other.

"I already know that I'm not going to be pleased about what you'll tell me but I want to know Tom."

"Sorry that I need to say this. Please let me explain what I'm going to say, before you send me away." Tom took a deep breath. He waited for this moment to come and already thought about the situation. He had examined every aspect and made his point of view for some time ago. He was sorry for his friends both for Clarisse and Joseph. " I really think that you need to leave the place."

It was a pause after this advice, but Joseph tried in a hopeful voice "With Clarisse right?"

Tom shook his head and continued "Clarisse is the best think what ever happened to Genovia. And I know our history like my backhand. She is the best think what should have happened to Rupert too. I know if he ever will realize how you feel about his wife, he will be mad like hell. Genovia is in a very deep hole. There are poverty, the crimes are high and the crow are afraid. People moving out and searching other countries to live in, we are less than 7 millions now! Rupert looked like the one who will destroy the throne completely and we'll lose our line to rule."

Joseph was about to interrupt but Tom continued "Yes Joseph it's sad, but it's not change the fact that it's also true. He was a complete different man and you can still see it sometimes, but less and less and it's because of the Queen. He loves her. I never believed in love at first sight and a man could change because of one pretty face, but Rupert changed and still changing for his good and lot. Clarisse is and will be a very good influence on him. They are both stubborn and reach anything what they want, but the two together can move mountains if they want to! They will be powerful together. I feel that they can lift our little country to a high new level where every people are proud to be Genovian."

Joseph didn't know what to say. He knew all of this but was never strong enough to confess for himself. Tom continued "On the other hand, if you stay, there is a very good chance you'll seduce the Queen."

"Oh no, she will never."

"She is a woman." Before Joseph could interrupt and defend her Tom continued "Yes she is strong so maybe it will be years but you'll win her in the end as you are bond together. You were made to be together, they say in the world every people have his perfect match and you are that for Clarisse. You should be the perfect couple."

"I know that since the first time I saw her. I'm not sure about her though."

Tom continued " What about Rupert? If he ever finds out he most definitely destroy you and will make Clarisse's life like hell. You will destroy both Genovia and Clarisse life. Genovian people will never see her like there Angel anymore, they turn their back to her and it will be the end. "

"They see her as there Angel but she is my love and MY Angel too." – said Joseph desperately.

"Yes she is, and she should be your Angel if she chooses you instead of Rupert. But will you take her in a situation where she needs to choose or you'll make the decision yourself? Believe me it seems hard but it will be ever harder or even impossible for you to leave as you stay more and more. Now you know her spirit, her thoughts, her life, but what about when you'll know her body too? Can you honestly say that you could leave her when you fully know her inside and out?" Tom took a pause here for Joseph to think a little.

Joseph realized that what Tom was telling is true. He doesn't think he could leave her if he just had the privilege to have one kiss from her. He wanted her more than anything in his life. He'll love her all of his life whatever will happen in it. She was his soul mate, his life.

Tom continued in a sad but determined voice " So our country happiness is in your hand my friend. You need to decide, are you worth millions of other?"

¤¤_*months later*_¤¤

"_Why do you want to leave me? I thought we are friends! " – said Clarisse desperately._

"_You are learning and I need to learn too. As you want to be the best of what you are doing I want to be the best in my job too. I will come back I promise you and when I come back I will be worth to be your employee Your Majesty."_

Clarisse returned to the present just as the King and prime minister set the crown in her head and the archbishop continued "Clarisse Gerald Renaldi now you are our Queen with every right as our King has. From now on you are equal with him."

They were in the throne room of the place with a couple of privilege invited high classed people. The ceremonial was held there and as it was officially over she stood up. With her ceremonial dress and long coat, the countries jewelries in her, the scepter in her hand and with the crown in her head she went to the balcony.

She greeted the thousands of people outside who came to the place ground to be a part of her crowing. Clarisse looked for her people in front of her and smiled to them from all her heart. She loved them.

¤¤_*Somewhere in Israel*_¤¤

"Are you watching?" – asked Tom till the phone.

"I'm not hearing a thing what you say. I told you to phone me and I'll phone you so I could know everything about the Queen, but I see her now!" – With this Joseph put down the cell phone and looked the television set if front of him and the beautiful woman who was in it.

"_Ladies and gentlemen the crow on the locality went wild when they say the Queen. They are smiling and clapping their hands and we in our studio too are very happy. We LOVE you our Queen!"_

In the corner of Joseph's eye one tear dropped down "I love you Clarisse and I'm so proud of you."

**The end**


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